Finnish name
Encyclopedia
In Finland
, a person must have a surname
and 1–3 first name
s. Surnames are usually inherited patrilineally, while first names are usually chosen by a person's parents. Finnish names come from a variety of dissimilar traditions that were consolidated only in the early 20th century. The first national act on names came into force in 1921, and it made surnames mandatory. Between 1930 and 1985, the Western Finnish tradition whereby a married woman took her husband's surname was mandatory. Previously in Eastern Finland, this was not necessarily the case.
Finnish first names are often of Biblical origin (e.g., Jukka from Greek Johannes
), but Finnish and Swedish
origins are also common.
In Finnish the letter 'j' denotes the approximant j, as in English you. For example, the two different names Maria and Marja are pronounced nearly identically. The letter 'y' denotes the vowel [y], not found in English, but similar to German 'ü' and French 'u'. 'R' is rolled. The stress is always on the first syllable in Finnish. For example, Yrjö Kääriäinen is pronounced ˈyrjø ˈkæːri.æinen. Double letters always stand for a geminate or longer sound, e.g. Marjaana has a stressed short ɑ followed by an unstressed long ɑː.
Pronunciation of Swedish names is similar, but long vowels are not doubled and the stress may be on any syllable. Finnish has a long bilingual history and it is not unusual for Finnish speakers to have Swedish surnames or given names. Such names may be pronounced according to Finland–Swedish phonology or, depending on the person named, the person speaking and the language used, a Fennicized variant.
When writing Finnish names without the Finnish alphabet
available (such as in e-mail addresses), the letters 'ä' and 'ö' are usually replaced with 'a' and 'o', respectively, e.g. Pääkkönen as Paakkonen. This is not the same, but visually recognizable.
and that of the Swedish nobility
. Until the early 20th century, Finland was a predominantly agrarian
society and the names of West Finns were based on their association with a particular area, farm
, or homestead
, e.g. Jaakko Jussila ("Jaakko from the farm of Jussi"). Farm names typically had the suffix -la and could refer to the husband (like Jussila) or describe the location (e.g. Isoaho "large clearing"). This name could change every time the person moved to a different farm. Farm names, patronyms and village names could be used to disambiguate between different people, but they were not true inherited surnames. For example, in the novel Seven Brothers
(Aleksis Kivi, 1870) the character Juhani was officially summoned as Juhani Juhanin-poika Jukola, Toukolan kylästä; "Juhani, son of Juhani, from Jukola farm, Toukola village".
On the other hand, the East Finnish surname tradition dates back to 13th century. There, the Savonians
pursued slash-and-burn agriculture which necessitated moving several times during a person's lifetime. This in turn required the families to have surnames, which were in wide use among the common folk as early as the 13th century. By the mid-16th century, the East Finnish surnames had become hereditary. Typically, the oldest East Finnish surnames were formed from the first names of the patriarchs of the families, e.g. Ikävalko, Termonen, Pentikäinen. In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, new names were most often formed by adding the place name of the former or current place of living (e.g. Puumalainen < Puumala
). In the East Finnish tradition, the females carried the family name of their fathers in female form (e.g. Puumalatar < Puumalainen). By the 19th century, this practice fell into disuse due to the influence of West-European surname tradition. Also, women did not change their surnames with marriage.
In Western Finland, the agrarian names dominated, and the last name of the person was usually given according to the farm or holding they lived on. In 1921, surnames became compulsory for all Finns. At this point, the agrarian names were usually adopted as surnames. A typical feature of such names is the addition of prefixes Ala- (Sub-) or Ylä- (Up-), giving the location of the holding along a waterway in relation of the main holding (e.g. Yli-Ojanperä, Ala-Verronen). In Pohjanmaa
, there are similar prefixes Rinta- "downstream" and Latva- "upriver".
Common suffixes are -nen (in oblique form -se-, e.g. Miettinen - Miettisen "Miettinen's"), a diminutive
suffix usually meaning "small", and -la/-lä, a locative suffix usually meaning "place of". The -nen suffix was freely interchanged with -son or -poika as late as the 16th century, but its meaning was ambiguous as it could refer not only to a "son", but any member of a patriarch's family, a farm or even a place.
A third, foreign tradition of surnames was introduced in Finland by the Swedish
-speaking upper and middle classes which used typical German and Swedish surnames. By custom, all Finnish-speaking persons who were able to get a position of some status in urban or learned society, discarded their Finnish name, adopting a Swedish, German or (in case of clergy) Latin
surnames. In the case of enlisted soldiers
, the new name was given regardless of the wishes of the individual. The oldest noble surnames of Swedish origin were not original, but were derived from the charges in the coat of arms
, sigil and flag of the family, for example with Svärd (Swedish: "sword"), Kurki/Kurck (Finnish: "crane") and Kirves (Finnish: "axe"). Families of German origin would use the von suffix, e.g. von Wright
.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the overall modernization process and especially, the political movement of Fennicization caused a movement for adoption of Finnish surnames. At that time, many persons with a Swedish or otherwise foreign surname changed their family name to a Finnish one. The features of nature with endings -o/ö, -nen (Meriö < meri "sea", Nieminen < niemi "peninsula") are typical of the names of this era, as well as more or less direct translations of Swedish names (Helleranta < Hällstrand). Fennicizing one's name also concealed non-Finnish origin. For example, Martti Ahtisaari
's grandfather was Adolfsen from Norway
. Nevertheless, Fennicization was not mandatory and thus it is common to find entirely Finnish-speaking families with Swedish surnames; having a Swedish name does not imply that one would speak Swedish.
An effect of industrialization was that large numbers of people moved to the cities and towns and had to adopt a surname. Missing an inherited surname, they invented one from scratch. Initially, these were in Swedish, and they were not very stable; people called them "superfluous names" (liikanimi), and a person could change one's surname several times during their career. Later, Finnish became the preferred language, and themes were taken from nature. Some of the most common examples of this type are Laine "wave", Vainio "field", Nurmi "grassland", and Salo "grove". When applicable, -nen or -la/-lä could be suffixed, such as in Koskinen "rapids + nen".
In 21st-century Finland, the use of surnames follows the German model
. Every person is legally obliged to have a first and last name. At most, three first names are allowed. A Finnish married couple may adopt the surname that either spouse had as non-married, in which case this name will be the surname of their children. A spouse changing his or her name may decide to use a double-barrelled name
consisting of his or her former and current official surname. In the case where both spouses keep their names they may choose either name for their children, but all siblings must share the same surname.
All persons have the right to change their surname once without any specific reason. A surname that is un-Finnish, contrary to the usages of the Swedish or Finnish languages, or in use by any person resident in Finland cannot be accepted as the new name, unless valid family reasons or religious or national customs give a reason for waiving this requirement. However, persons may change their surname to any surname that has ever been used by their ancestors, if they can prove such claim.
Surnames behave like regular words when forming grammatical cases. Thus, for example, the genitive of surname Mäki is Mäen, just like the regular word mäki ("hill") becomes mäen in the genitive. For given names this is not always the case even if the word is a regular word; for example Suvi ("summer") becomes Suvin in the genitive, not Suven.
s were used in official documents until late 19th century. Finns did not address each other by patronymics in colloquial speech. The natural Finnish way of referring to someone's parentage is the genitive: Matin Olli ("Matthew's Olaf") instead of the solemn Olli Matinpoika ("Olaf Matthew's son"). When patronymics were no longer required in documents, they quickly fell out of use. They are still perfectly legal, but very rare, often representing a deliberate archaism. Unlike in Swedish, Finnish patronymics were not transferred into hereditary family names. Thus, the Finnish situation differs considerably from e.g. Sweden with hundreds of thousands of Johanssons and Anderssons. The Swedish patronymics-like surnames are treated as any other surname. Real patronymics are handled like additional first names, i.e., one must still have a surname. An exception is Icelandic citizens
resident in Finland, who are allowed to follow the Icelandic name
tradition.
or Church-Slavic, instead of Swedish and Latin forms. For example, there are two Finnish cognates of George, Yrjö < Swedish Örjan and Jyri < Russian Юрий (Yuri
). The most important source for researching the name forms actually used by the Finns themselves in the 15th to 18th centuries are the surnames preserved in written sources, as these often are formed on the basis of a first name. The first names themselves are usually given in Swedish or Latin forms, as these are the languages used in the sources. The name actually used was a Fennicized form of the name, which might change as the person became older. For example, a person given the Swedish name Gustaf in the parish register might be called Kustu as a child, Kusti as an adolescent, Kyösti or Köpi as an adult and Kustaa as an old man.
In the early 19th century, almost all Finnish first names were taken from the official almanac
, published by the Royal Academy of Turku, later University of Helsinki
. The names were mostly names of the saints whose cult had been popular before the Reformation
, but the almanac also incorporated a number of names from the Old Testament
and Swedish royalty, which were added to certain days during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the 19th century, the Finnish forms were gradually added to the Finnish almanac, while the Swedish and Latin forms were removed (the Swedish forms were retained in a separate Swedish almanac). At the same time, the vicars gradually started to use Finnish name forms in parish registers. This in turn, cemented the Finnish name forms used.
Names with originally Finnish etymology were revived in the 19th century. In the absence of reliable information about ancient names, parents chose names of mythical characters from folklore (Aino
, Tapio
), and many new names were created from Finnish words ( Seppo "smith" or "skilled person", Ritva "birch twig"). Some clergymen initially refused to christen babies with such "pagan" names. The first given name of Finnish origin, Aino, was accepted in the almanac in 1890, followed by numerous others in 1908. About 30 % of Finns born in 1910–1939 received a name with Finnish etymology.
By the 1930s, the use of Finnish names and name forms was stabilized and most of the popular names were noticed in the almanac. Since then, the almanac has been gradually changed to include new, popular names. At present, all names which have at least 1,000 bearers are incorporated into the almanac of the University of Helsinki and given a "name day" . At present, 792 of the 35,000 first names used in Finland are listed in the Finnish almanac. The nimipäivä calendar follows the Medieval Catholic Saint calendar when applicable.
First names are subject to changing fashions, while second or third given names are more traditional and typically trisyllabic. In the table below both first and middle names are counted. Since the digitalization of the Finnish national population database in the 1970s, the most popular names in Finland (of all Finnish residents or citizens who have lived after that point) have been
Of the names listed, Annikki and Marjatta are etymologically related to Anna and Maria, but they are characters in the Kalevala
, not used as given names before the 19th century.
Waivers may be granted if valid family, religious or ethnic reasons give grounds to use a name contrary to these principles. Persons may change their first names once without a specific reason. For subsequent changes, valid reasons must be presented.
. The use of first names indicates familiarity, and children often refer to each other by first names only. However, in many workplaces familiarity between individuals working on the same site is assumed.
In contrast to other European tradition, the use of titles such as tohtori "Doctor" with surnames is not very common and is found only in highly formal contexts, or it is considered old-fashioned. The titles equivalent to Mr, Mrs and Miss are herra
, rouva and neiti, respectively. Thus, for example, in formal contexts, Matti Johannes Virtanen can be referred to as herra Virtanen or herra Matti Virtanen, if several Virtanens are present. In most other contexts, simply one name, surname or first name, is used. As in Swedish culture, politeness is often expressed by indirect address, such that the use of names might even be deliberately avoided. In spite of this, formal Finnish features various titles, particularly presidential citations such as vuorineuvos
or ministeri.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, a person must have a surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
and 1–3 first name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s. Surnames are usually inherited patrilineally, while first names are usually chosen by a person's parents. Finnish names come from a variety of dissimilar traditions that were consolidated only in the early 20th century. The first national act on names came into force in 1921, and it made surnames mandatory. Between 1930 and 1985, the Western Finnish tradition whereby a married woman took her husband's surname was mandatory. Previously in Eastern Finland, this was not necessarily the case.
Finnish first names are often of Biblical origin (e.g., Jukka from Greek Johannes
Johannes
Johannes is the Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek name Ιωάννης , itself derived from the Hebrew name Yehochanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious". The name became popular in Northern Europe, especially in Germany...
), but Finnish and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
origins are also common.
In Finnish the letter 'j' denotes the approximant j, as in English you. For example, the two different names Maria and Marja are pronounced nearly identically. The letter 'y' denotes the vowel [y], not found in English, but similar to German 'ü' and French 'u'. 'R' is rolled. The stress is always on the first syllable in Finnish. For example, Yrjö Kääriäinen is pronounced ˈyrjø ˈkæːri.æinen. Double letters always stand for a geminate or longer sound, e.g. Marjaana has a stressed short ɑ followed by an unstressed long ɑː.
Pronunciation of Swedish names is similar, but long vowels are not doubled and the stress may be on any syllable. Finnish has a long bilingual history and it is not unusual for Finnish speakers to have Swedish surnames or given names. Such names may be pronounced according to Finland–Swedish phonology or, depending on the person named, the person speaking and the language used, a Fennicized variant.
When writing Finnish names without the Finnish alphabet
Finnish alphabet
The Finnish alphabet is based on the Latin script, and especially the Swedish alphabet. Officially it comprises 28 letters:A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z, Å, Ä, Ö...
available (such as in e-mail addresses), the letters 'ä' and 'ö' are usually replaced with 'a' and 'o', respectively, e.g. Pääkkönen as Paakkonen. This is not the same, but visually recognizable.
Surnames
Finland has three predominant surname traditions: the West Finnish, the East FinnishEast Finnish
East Finnish culture and dialect are chiefly vested in the Savonians and the Karelians. It is distinguished by considerably less of influence from Scandinavian and Finland-Swedish culture and language....
and that of the Swedish nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. Until the early 20th century, Finland was a predominantly agrarian
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
society and the names of West Finns were based on their association with a particular area, farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
, or homestead
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
, e.g. Jaakko Jussila ("Jaakko from the farm of Jussi"). Farm names typically had the suffix -la and could refer to the husband (like Jussila) or describe the location (e.g. Isoaho "large clearing"). This name could change every time the person moved to a different farm. Farm names, patronyms and village names could be used to disambiguate between different people, but they were not true inherited surnames. For example, in the novel Seven Brothers
Seven Brothers
Seven Brothers is the first and only novel by Aleksis Kivi, the national author of Finland, and it is widely regarded as the first significant novel written in Finnish and by a Finnish-speaking author. Published in 1870, Seven Brothers ended an era dominated by Swedish-speaking authors, most...
(Aleksis Kivi, 1870) the character Juhani was officially summoned as Juhani Juhanin-poika Jukola, Toukolan kylästä; "Juhani, son of Juhani, from Jukola farm, Toukola village".
On the other hand, the East Finnish surname tradition dates back to 13th century. There, the Savonians
Savonian people
Savonians are Finnish people descending from the inhabitants of historical province of Savonia. Savonians differ from other Finnish tribes by their dialect and cultural tradition. Originally they are descendants of the historical Finnish Karelians and the Tavastians...
pursued slash-and-burn agriculture which necessitated moving several times during a person's lifetime. This in turn required the families to have surnames, which were in wide use among the common folk as early as the 13th century. By the mid-16th century, the East Finnish surnames had become hereditary. Typically, the oldest East Finnish surnames were formed from the first names of the patriarchs of the families, e.g. Ikävalko, Termonen, Pentikäinen. In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, new names were most often formed by adding the place name of the former or current place of living (e.g. Puumalainen < Puumala
Puumala
Puumala is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
). In the East Finnish tradition, the females carried the family name of their fathers in female form (e.g. Puumalatar < Puumalainen). By the 19th century, this practice fell into disuse due to the influence of West-European surname tradition. Also, women did not change their surnames with marriage.
In Western Finland, the agrarian names dominated, and the last name of the person was usually given according to the farm or holding they lived on. In 1921, surnames became compulsory for all Finns. At this point, the agrarian names were usually adopted as surnames. A typical feature of such names is the addition of prefixes Ala- (Sub-) or Ylä- (Up-), giving the location of the holding along a waterway in relation of the main holding (e.g. Yli-Ojanperä, Ala-Verronen). In Pohjanmaa
Ostrobothnia (historical province)
Ostrobothnia, and , is a historical province of Finland to the west and north in Finland. It borders on Karelia, Savonia, Tavastia and Satakunda in the south, and on Västerbotten in Sweden, and Laponia in the north...
, there are similar prefixes Rinta- "downstream" and Latva- "upriver".
Common suffixes are -nen (in oblique form -se-, e.g. Miettinen - Miettisen "Miettinen's"), a diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
suffix usually meaning "small", and -la/-lä, a locative suffix usually meaning "place of". The -nen suffix was freely interchanged with -son or -poika as late as the 16th century, but its meaning was ambiguous as it could refer not only to a "son", but any member of a patriarch's family, a farm or even a place.
A third, foreign tradition of surnames was introduced in Finland by the Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
-speaking upper and middle classes which used typical German and Swedish surnames. By custom, all Finnish-speaking persons who were able to get a position of some status in urban or learned society, discarded their Finnish name, adopting a Swedish, German or (in case of clergy) Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
surnames. In the case of enlisted soldiers
Swedish allotment system
The allotment system was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times. This system came into use in around 1640, and was replaced in the early 1900s by the Swedish Armed Forces conscription system...
, the new name was given regardless of the wishes of the individual. The oldest noble surnames of Swedish origin were not original, but were derived from the charges in the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, sigil and flag of the family, for example with Svärd (Swedish: "sword"), Kurki/Kurck (Finnish: "crane") and Kirves (Finnish: "axe"). Families of German origin would use the von suffix, e.g. von Wright
Von Wright
Of the five von Wright brothers, three were artists:*Magnus von Wright *Wilhelm von Wright *Ferdinand von Wright...
.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the overall modernization process and especially, the political movement of Fennicization caused a movement for adoption of Finnish surnames. At that time, many persons with a Swedish or otherwise foreign surname changed their family name to a Finnish one. The features of nature with endings -o/ö, -nen (Meriö < meri "sea", Nieminen < niemi "peninsula") are typical of the names of this era, as well as more or less direct translations of Swedish names (Helleranta < Hällstrand). Fennicizing one's name also concealed non-Finnish origin. For example, Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
's grandfather was Adolfsen from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Nevertheless, Fennicization was not mandatory and thus it is common to find entirely Finnish-speaking families with Swedish surnames; having a Swedish name does not imply that one would speak Swedish.
An effect of industrialization was that large numbers of people moved to the cities and towns and had to adopt a surname. Missing an inherited surname, they invented one from scratch. Initially, these were in Swedish, and they were not very stable; people called them "superfluous names" (liikanimi), and a person could change one's surname several times during their career. Later, Finnish became the preferred language, and themes were taken from nature. Some of the most common examples of this type are Laine "wave", Vainio "field", Nurmi "grassland", and Salo "grove". When applicable, -nen or -la/-lä could be suffixed, such as in Koskinen "rapids + nen".
Current use
| # | Surname | Etymology | Bearers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virtanen Virtanen (surname) Virtanen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the second most common surname.-List persons with the surname:*Antti Virtanen , Finnish ice hockey player... |
virta "stream" | 23624 |
| 2 | Korhonen Korhonen Korhonen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the first most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:... |
korho "deaf" | 23572 |
| 3 | Nieminen Nieminen Nieminen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the third most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:*Anu Nieminen , Finnish badminton player*Eeti Nieminen, Finnish Nordic skier... |
niemi "peninsula" | 21434 |
| 4 | Mäkinen Mäkinen Mäkinen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the fourth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:*Jarmo Mäkinen , Finnish actor... |
mäki "hill" | 21360 |
| 5 | Mäkelä Mäkelä Mäkelä is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the fifth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically on first name:* Eero Mäkelä , Finnish chef, first Michelin-starred in Finland... |
mäki "hill" | 19608 |
| 6 | Hämäläinen Hämäläinen Hämäläinen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the sixth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:*Aatu Hämäläinen , Finnish professional ice hockey player... |
Häme "Tavastia Tavastia (historical province) Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, Russian Emi or Yemi, is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.- Administration :... " |
19412 |
| 7 | Laine Laine Laine is Finnish and Estonian for "wave", and a surname in various languages. Laine is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the seventh most common surname... |
laine "wave" | 18933 |
| 8 | Koskinen Koskinen Koskinen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the eighth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:*Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen , Finnish politician, ambassador and freiherr... |
koski "rapids" | 18009 |
| 9 | Heikkinen Heikkinen Heikkinen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the ninth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:* Aki Heikkinen , Finnish decathlete... |
Heikki < Henrik Henrik Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry , Heikki , Henryk , Hendrik , Heinrich , Enrico , Henri , Enrique and Henrique... |
17960 |
| 10 | Järvinen Järvinen Järvinen is a surname originating in Finland , where it is the tenth most common surname. It may also refer to, alphabetically:*Akilles Järvinen , Finnish athlete and decathlete... |
järvi "lake" | 17180 |
In 21st-century Finland, the use of surnames follows the German model
German name
German names consist of one or several Vornamen and a Nachname . The Vorname is usually gender-specific.-Forenames:...
. Every person is legally obliged to have a first and last name. At most, three first names are allowed. A Finnish married couple may adopt the surname that either spouse had as non-married, in which case this name will be the surname of their children. A spouse changing his or her name may decide to use a double-barrelled name
Double-barrelled name
In English speaking and some other Western countries, a double-barrelled name is a family name with two parts, which may or may not be joined with a hyphen and is also known as a hyphenated name. An example of a hyphenated double-barrelled surname is Bowes-Lyon; an example of an unhyphenated...
consisting of his or her former and current official surname. In the case where both spouses keep their names they may choose either name for their children, but all siblings must share the same surname.
All persons have the right to change their surname once without any specific reason. A surname that is un-Finnish, contrary to the usages of the Swedish or Finnish languages, or in use by any person resident in Finland cannot be accepted as the new name, unless valid family reasons or religious or national customs give a reason for waiving this requirement. However, persons may change their surname to any surname that has ever been used by their ancestors, if they can prove such claim.
Surnames behave like regular words when forming grammatical cases. Thus, for example, the genitive of surname Mäki is Mäen, just like the regular word mäki ("hill") becomes mäen in the genitive. For given names this is not always the case even if the word is a regular word; for example Suvi ("summer") becomes Suvin in the genitive, not Suven.
Patronymics
PatronymicPatronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
s were used in official documents until late 19th century. Finns did not address each other by patronymics in colloquial speech. The natural Finnish way of referring to someone's parentage is the genitive: Matin Olli ("Matthew's Olaf") instead of the solemn Olli Matinpoika ("Olaf Matthew's son"). When patronymics were no longer required in documents, they quickly fell out of use. They are still perfectly legal, but very rare, often representing a deliberate archaism. Unlike in Swedish, Finnish patronymics were not transferred into hereditary family names. Thus, the Finnish situation differs considerably from e.g. Sweden with hundreds of thousands of Johanssons and Anderssons. The Swedish patronymics-like surnames are treated as any other surname. Real patronymics are handled like additional first names, i.e., one must still have a surname. An exception is Icelandic citizens
Icelandic nationality law
right|200pxIcelandic nationality law is based upon the principles of Jus sanguinis. In other words, descent from an Icelandic parent is the primary method of acquiring Icelandic citizenship. Birth in Iceland to foreign parents does not in itself confer Icelandic citizenship.Icelandic law...
resident in Finland, who are allowed to follow the Icelandic name
Icelandic name
Icelandic names differ from most current Western family name systems by being patronymic in that they reflect the immediate father of the child and not the historic family lineage....
tradition.
First names
The native Finnish tradition of first names was lost during the early Christian period, and by the 16th century, only Christian first names were accepted. The popular names were usually the names of saints whose cult was widespread. This resulted in some differences between the Western and Eastern Finnish first names, as the names in Eastern Finland might have had forms derived from RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
or Church-Slavic, instead of Swedish and Latin forms. For example, there are two Finnish cognates of George, Yrjö < Swedish Örjan and Jyri < Russian Юрий (Yuri
Yuri
Yuri is a common first name in several languages, with alternately masculine and feminine denotations depending on the specific culture. In Russia, for example, Юрий is a common male given name meaning 'George', while in Japan it is a traditional female name meaning 'lily', and in Korea, it is also...
). The most important source for researching the name forms actually used by the Finns themselves in the 15th to 18th centuries are the surnames preserved in written sources, as these often are formed on the basis of a first name. The first names themselves are usually given in Swedish or Latin forms, as these are the languages used in the sources. The name actually used was a Fennicized form of the name, which might change as the person became older. For example, a person given the Swedish name Gustaf in the parish register might be called Kustu as a child, Kusti as an adolescent, Kyösti or Köpi as an adult and Kustaa as an old man.
In the early 19th century, almost all Finnish first names were taken from the official almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
, published by the Royal Academy of Turku, later University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
. The names were mostly names of the saints whose cult had been popular before the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, but the almanac also incorporated a number of names from the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and Swedish royalty, which were added to certain days during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the 19th century, the Finnish forms were gradually added to the Finnish almanac, while the Swedish and Latin forms were removed (the Swedish forms were retained in a separate Swedish almanac). At the same time, the vicars gradually started to use Finnish name forms in parish registers. This in turn, cemented the Finnish name forms used.
Names with originally Finnish etymology were revived in the 19th century. In the absence of reliable information about ancient names, parents chose names of mythical characters from folklore (Aino
Aino (mythology)
Aino is a figure in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. It relates that she was the beautiful sister of Joukahainen. Her brother, having lost a singing contest to the storied Väinämöinen, promised Aino's "hands and feet" in marriage if Väinämöinen would save him from drowning in the swamp into...
, Tapio
Tapio
Tapio may refer to*Tapio, a Finnish male given name*Tapio, an East Finnish forest spirit or god. He lends his name in the form of*Forestry Development Centre Tapio, Finnish organisation, that produces solutions for sustainable forest management....
), and many new names were created from Finnish words ( Seppo "smith" or "skilled person", Ritva "birch twig"). Some clergymen initially refused to christen babies with such "pagan" names. The first given name of Finnish origin, Aino, was accepted in the almanac in 1890, followed by numerous others in 1908. About 30 % of Finns born in 1910–1939 received a name with Finnish etymology.
By the 1930s, the use of Finnish names and name forms was stabilized and most of the popular names were noticed in the almanac. Since then, the almanac has been gradually changed to include new, popular names. At present, all names which have at least 1,000 bearers are incorporated into the almanac of the University of Helsinki and given a "name day" . At present, 792 of the 35,000 first names used in Finland are listed in the Finnish almanac. The nimipäivä calendar follows the Medieval Catholic Saint calendar when applicable.
First names are subject to changing fashions, while second or third given names are more traditional and typically trisyllabic. In the table below both first and middle names are counted. Since the digitalization of the Finnish national population database in the 1970s, the most popular names in Finland (of all Finnish residents or citizens who have lived after that point) have been
| Men's names | Origin | Men named | Women's names | Origin | Women named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juhani | Saint John John the Evangelist Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John... |
332172 | Maria | Virgin Mary | 355087 |
| Johannes | Saint John John the Evangelist Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John... |
236343 | Helena | Saint Helen | 166254 |
| Olavi | Saint Olaf | 217861 | Anneli | new variant of Anna | 143411 |
| Antero | Saint Andrew Saint Andrew Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him... |
180783 | Johanna | Joanna Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from Koine Greek Iōanna from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה meaning "God is gracious". Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna... , also < Johannes |
142891 |
| Tapani | Saint Stephen Saint Stephen Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches.... |
152220 | Kaarina | Saint Catherine via Swedish Karin | 129888 |
| Kalevi | Finnish mythology | 141428 | Marjatta | Finnish mythology | 122602 |
| Tapio | Finnish mythology | 134185 | Anna | Saint Anna | 111180 |
| Matti | Saint Matthew | 126720 | Liisa | Saint Elisabeth Elizabeth (Biblical person) Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva... |
100555 |
| Ilmari | Finnish mythology | 109727 | Annikki | Finnish mythology | 96836 |
| Mikael | Archangel Michael | 109315 | Hannele | new loan from German <Johanna | 91516 |
Of the names listed, Annikki and Marjatta are etymologically related to Anna and Maria, but they are characters in the Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, not used as given names before the 19th century.
Legal aspects
At present, the Names Act of 1985 requires that all Finnish citizens and residents have at least one and at the most three first names. Persons who do not have a first name are obligated to adopt one when they are entered into the Finnish national population database. Parents of new-born children must name their child and inform the population registry within two months of the child's birth. The name may be chosen freely, but it must not be- a name used primarily by persons of the other sex
- a name foreign to the naming tradition in Finland
- a surname, except a patronymic as last given name
- a name already used by a sibling, if this is to be the only given name.
Waivers may be granted if valid family, religious or ethnic reasons give grounds to use a name contrary to these principles. Persons may change their first names once without a specific reason. For subsequent changes, valid reasons must be presented.
Usage
As in general in European culture, the surname is seen as more formal and the first names as less formal. Strangers are expected to refer to each other by their surnames and using grammar in formal pluralT-V distinction
In sociolinguistics, a T–V distinction is a contrast, within one language, between second-person pronouns that are specialized for varying levels of politeness, social distance, courtesy, familiarity, or insult toward the addressee....
. The use of first names indicates familiarity, and children often refer to each other by first names only. However, in many workplaces familiarity between individuals working on the same site is assumed.
In contrast to other European tradition, the use of titles such as tohtori "Doctor" with surnames is not very common and is found only in highly formal contexts, or it is considered old-fashioned. The titles equivalent to Mr, Mrs and Miss are herra
Herra
Not to be confused with Hera, the Greek Goddess.Herra means "Lord" in Finnish, and is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English titles "Mister" and "Sir" and also to "gentleman". In the Finnish Defence Forces, a superior is addressed with herra...
, rouva and neiti, respectively. Thus, for example, in formal contexts, Matti Johannes Virtanen can be referred to as herra Virtanen or herra Matti Virtanen, if several Virtanens are present. In most other contexts, simply one name, surname or first name, is used. As in Swedish culture, politeness is often expressed by indirect address, such that the use of names might even be deliberately avoided. In spite of this, formal Finnish features various titles, particularly presidential citations such as vuorineuvos
Vuorineuvos
Vuorineuvos is a Finnish honorary title granted by the President of Finland to leading industry figures. The title is honorary and has no responsibilities and no privileges. All Finnish titles are non-hereditary. The only title of equal rank is valtioneuvos.There is no official or established...
or ministeri.